The Selangor state exco member for Tourism, Consumers Affairs and the Environment, Elizabeth Wong sees no reasons why the ‘Fabulous Food 1Malaysia’ (FF1M) or any tourism-related food promotions should become such a big controversy.

It is, in fact, a bane to the tourism and food business when controversies of this nature are allowed to take up so much of everyone’s time. After all, one man’s food is another’s poison, she said.

The controversy erupted when the Tourism and Culture Ministry decided to bar the serving of non-halal food at the food fair this year.

This has raised the ire of tourism operators who were caught by surprise at the ministry’s latest policy, which was in response to a reprimand in the latest Attorney-General’s Report for serving the traditional Chinese cuisine ‘bah kut teh’ at the FF1M at Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur and in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor, last year.

Urging its minister, Nazri Abdul Aziz, to reassess the ministry’s position again, Wong ( left ) said that for the country to attract international tourists, events such as FF1M should be “inclusive”, rather than exclusive.

“In tourism, there must be something for everyone to partake and enjoy. This is the key to a successful and sustainable promotion of a country,” she said.

In Selangor, food tourism is one of its top attractions, not forgetting that the ‘bah kut teh’ is a signature Selangor-Malaysian dish originating from Port Klang.

There are also other versions such as the ‘chick kut teh’ and the vegan-style ‘bah kut teh’ that replaces the pork with vegan meat.

“Fresh seafood offered along the coastal areas of Selangor is on the bucketlist of busloads of tourists arriving from outstation and even as far as Singapore, and there we have both halal and non-halal food available to cater for all,” she said.

Wong opined that if common sense is allowed to prevail, the various religious communities will learn to tolerate one another and make up what the country is - being ‘Malaysia, truly Asia’.

“Variety and diversity are Malaysia’s strongest selling points to the international travel market,” she added.

Wong said that separating the two types of food according to the halal and non-halal sections is a simple but the best solution that has always been practised, even in hawker centres.

“The co-existence of both halal and non-halal stalls, albeit being separated, will also reflect Malaysia’s position as a diverse moderate nation, where people of different races, religions and cultures can live and eat together in harmony.

“To ensure that Muslims will not accidentally buy food that is non-halal for consumption, proper labelling should also be mandatory,” she added.

Non-halal foods still on menu, says ministry